Sylvestermouse's Avatar on Squidoo

No, I’m not suggesting you shake the tentacle of a denizen of the deep blue sea but rather learn about one of the great people who write on Squidoo. The first in this series is Sylvestermouse, AKA Cynthia.

I became aware of her when she posted a critique request for her first lens (web page) in Squidoo’s forum – Sewing in the House of Sylvestermouse.  I took a look at it and, although there were things that needed to be done, it was obvious to me that Cynthia could write in a good and interesting way. I made some suggestions, as did other people, and she actually implemented them – not something that always happens. After that, I’ve taken an interest in her progress and she has done very well, having made many interesting lenses. I now think of her as my ‘baby Squid’ who is growing up fast.

Read what she has to say about why she joined Squidoo and her thoughts on different aspects of the network.

Why did you join Squidoo?

Originally I joined Squidoo to promote my ebay store.

If it was to promote your business, what made you go on to build so many different lenses which don’t do that?

I found that I enjoyed reading and writing lenses so much, that my store has become secondary. I have met some really great people on Squidoo and I truly enjoy the community.

Would you call yourself a Squidoo addict?

The Original Sylvester Mouse

Absolutely! Sometimes I am so busy reading and writing that I forget to eat or sleep. Once I have locked on to an idea, I simply can’t stop until it is finished.

In addition to working on my own lenses, I try to read every new lens of my fellow teammates on Team One as well as the challenge lenses of the Rocket Moms. When reading lenses, I find the educational element of some lensmasters so intriguing and the personal element of others so captivating, that I simply cannot stop. It’s like a good book you can’t put down.

How are you finding the journey to become a giant? Is it stressful or are you enjoying it?

Surprisingly, I am loving every minute of it.

Have you found your Giant Challenge group a great help and support?

Now I could write for days on this subject! I have the creme de la creme supporting me and helping me. I have been amazed by their tenacious attention. I barely get my lenses published before one or two of them has already commented and they are so sweet in the way they gently correct and guide. We are a small group, but if I had searched the internet over, I could not have found a more devoted alliance.

How are you enjoying Rocket Moms? Are you learning new skills?

Rocket Moms

Rocket Moms has given me a separate challenge altogether.

It has taken me longer to adjust to the larger group, but again, I have made several wonderful friends.

Around my home, I even refer to these lensmasters by name when I am relating their stories to my family. Literally hours of conversation and dinnertime entertainment have resulted from my Rocket Mom’s association.

This week’s travel assignment has been wonderful for us. We love to travel and I have shown several of the lenses to them as suggestions for planning our next adventure. I have a whole “collection” to choose from now.

Since all Squidoo skills are new to me, there is no question that I am learning new ways to improve my lenses.

Do you think these small groups are helpful and give a greater feeling of community?

Ha, ha, ha! Well, clearly I didn’t read the questions in advance before I started answering the first ones. I guess I shall let this be a lesson to me! Yes, I believe it would be extremely easy to be lost in the sea of squids and never reach one’s individual potential without the “family” or “school” of fellow lensmasters. If I had not had encouragement from my mentor (Cynthia says she considers me to be her mentor)  and my team, I probably would not have written any lenses after the first two. I felt so dejected when my second lens received less than a 5* rating. I remember thinking “what do they want?” I found it isn’t easy to write instructional lenses for crochet even though I tried very hard to think from a beginners perspective.

What do you like best about Squidoo?

I like the opportunity to learn and expand my personal horizons. I enjoy the challenge of presenting a thought and evoking a response because, again, I am learning something about the subject of the lens or about people. My favorite example of this so far, was my lens “Hangin’ with Vampire Bats.” I could almost feel the cringes of the readers when I read their comments.

What annoys or irritates you about it?

When members give lower ratings without explanation or critiques. I really do believe if you think a lens is lacking, you should contact the lensmaster and ask questions. Usually if you ask a question, the lensmaster will add content to their lens that supplies the answer. Thus, the results are a better lens.

Hangin' With Kangeroo Rats

You must love animals, you’ve written many lenses about them…

Yes, I do indeed love all animals even the ones that are commonly unlovable. Um…perhaps I like the unlovable ones even better. I suppose that is the “protect the underdog” inclination that is the drive behind some of my lenses. I have even found that I have a certain affinity for squids.

Are you going to expand on your needlework or handicrafts series of lenses?
I definitely have plans to write additional craft lenses. As you can tell by the two I have already published, they are extremely time-consuming endeavors and I want to make sure I am using a helpful and easy to follow format before I write another one.

What do you enjoy outside of Squidoo?

Is there an “outside of Squidoo?” Okay, all joking aside: I enjoy many activities from traveling to sewing at home. I love nature, planting seeds and watching them grow, watching the birds and animals that temporarily brighten my life, occasionally swimming or riding horses. I used to even water ski and fish. I would still enjoy water-skiing if there was a lake that would permit it close by. People could just laugh at the “old poo” on the water-skis. I love to read. When I am not “doing” something, I like to read about someone else’s adventures. I like to cook what my family likes to eat. There really is a difference in liking to cook and liking to please someone else with your cooking. I have had a full life of many kinds of adventures but my focus remains on my religious beliefs and my family.

Cynthia is a lovely person as well as being a good lensmaster. She is very generous with her praise of other people’s work and takes time to look at many Squidoo lenses. See a full list of her lenses on her Sylvestermouse page.

The point is to take an idea that is very wide ranging and think of your own slant on it. There is no way that anybody could write a comprehensive lens or web page about the moon or time. Both subjects are too big.

When you are stuck for something to write about, make a list of subjects. This is a brainstorming exercise so don’t think hard about it and agonise about what you add to the list. Just put down anything that pops into your head. When you have ten or twenty topics, look at the first five items on your list and, one at a time, work through them thinking of all the angles you could write about on each subject.

Example: The Sky

1. Airplanes
2. Clouds
3. Storms
4. Hurricanes or tornadoes
5. Birds
6. Myths about the sun and/or moon
7. The night sky and prominent constellations
8. Why the sky appears blue
9. Parachuting
10. Earth’s atmosphere

Here are ten different ideas for lenses or web pages from the general topic of ‘The Sky’.